Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans.
Author's Comments: If anyone has a request for me to draw or write, please feel free to let me know! This chapter is dedicated to my newest, dedicated reviewer, Nezzie13! Glad to have you here!
Chapter 9 – A Race Against Time
Pantha shuffled into the living room of Titans West for breakfast, "Good morning." She jumped at the sound of Red Star. She turned to see him wearing a pink apron and holding a steaming plate of pancakes. "I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you."
"Did you sleep alright?" Pantha asked.
"Yes," Red Star assured her.
"The couch wasn't lumpy?" Pantha shifted uncomfortably.
"I lived in isolation for the longest time," Red Star replied. "I would rather sleep on a lumpy couch and be around friends any day." Pantha smiled at him. "Would you care for some pancakes?" He held out the plate to her.
"I would love some." the wrestler replied.
- Scene Break -
"Terra," what shocked her was that her voice was no longer two-toned. She could feel a cold dampness against her skin and saw that she was covered in mud.
"Raven," the blonde was standing on a boulder in front of her. She was wrapped almost completely in bandages, and there were some metal pieces on her shoulders, chest, knees, and pelvis. Her blonde hair was hanging down, covering one half of her face. Just like Slade.
"Traiter," Raven growled.
"Witch," Terra's eye glowed yellow. Raven charged at her, and the two battled. What surprised Raven was that instead of fire, her magic was a black energy. Terra had control over the Earth, but somehow she remembered that. She could not control her body, she just watched the fight. "You know Raven, I never liked you." Terra addressed you.
"I never even wanted to know you," Raven retorted. "You may have fooled the others, but I always knew you were a liar." She could almost remember the conversation happening.
"Oh really?" Terra smirked at her, the mud lifting off of her body. "Is that why you let me live in your house and steal all your secrets and..."
"Shut up!" Raven could feel the anger building up inside. Where was it coming from? Why was she saying these things?
"You're not getting mad are you Rae?" Terra mocked her. "Oh better be careful. Beast Boy told me about your little temper tantrums." Beast Boy. The green Titan. Did she know him?
"Anger is pointless," Raven retorted. "My emotions are under control."
"Nyah, nyah, nyah," Terra created a ball of mud to look like Raven, and made it talk. "Anger is pointless. And you're calling me a liar?" Raven could feel it, no she could feel her, Rage. "Come on Raven, what stings the most?" Terra descended upon her. "That I tricked you? That I nearly wiped out your team?" Raven couldn't remember being on a team. "That everyone liked me better than you?" Raven remembered that, but how could she?
"Stop it!" she heard herself say.
"Or is it that deep down inside, you really believed I was your friend?" Terra crouched down in front of her. Raven rose up, Rage dominant.
"I trusted you!" Trigon's voice was now layered with her own. "We trusted you!" We? "We gave you everything and you treated us like dirt!" Terra covered her with mud and dragged her down. Raven could feel herself being dragged down.
"Who's in control now?" Terra asked her. Raven closed her eyes felt Rage dissipate. She managed to gasp once more before she was covered in mud.
- Scene Break -
Raven woke with a start. The dream had seemed to real. Like it had happened a lifetime ago. She frowned and rubbed her head. Was it possible that talking in two voices was not the norm, that she had had another life before this one? That she had not always been evil?
"Bad dreams my dear?" Raven turned to see Slade in the doorway.
"Not sure," the voices that she was so used to sounded alien coming out of her mouth now. "It seemed so real."
"Your dreams can wait," Raven looked up to see Terra. "We have work to do."
"Did you used to be able to control the Earth?" Raven found herself asking the blonde. She watched as Terra went rigid.
"Why would you ask me something like that?" Terra asked, a hysterical note in her voice. Raven shrugged and pulled on her black cloak. Hadn't it been blue once?
"Anyways," both young women turned to Slade. "I really would prefer to take down Titan's West while it's weak. Besides, I found another spell to help you remember who you really are my dear."
"Really?" Raven asked. "Why can't I do it?"
"Sadly you can't cast this particular spell on yourself," Slade replied smoothly. "Let's go pay a visit to Titan's West." Raven shrugged and left the room.
"You found another spell?" Terra raised one of her eyebrows.
"One that will wipe her mind permanently," Slade nodded.
"What are we waiting for?" Terra's hair fell in front of her face. "Let's go pay Titan's West a visit."
- Scene Break -
"Thanks for the pancakes Red Star," Argent grinned. From beside her, Red X had his mask rolled up so that he could eat.
"Yeah," he said, his mouth full of pancakes. "Thanks!"
"You are more than welcome my friends," Red Star beamed.
"Pantha you should keep this guy around," Kid Flash elbowed the wrestler. "He's a good cook." Pantha turned red, and crossed her arms. Abruptly the alarm went off.
"Kid Flash, keep an eye on Jinx!" Pantha ordered. Kid Flash zipped off, a plate of pancakes in hand. Red Star removed his apron, and put on his green coat. There was an explosion which threw everyone off of their feet. Pantha stood up to find the living room gone, sliced off a foot where she was standing.
"Red Star!" she called out, but there was no answer.
"Oh dear," she looked up to see Slade leaning against the wall. "I seem to have disposed of your friend. So sorry." Pantha cracked her knuckles.
"You were a fool to come here," she addressed the villain. "Pantha rules the ring."
"Apprentice," Slade ignored the wrestler. "Take her down." Raven rose through the rubble and regarded Pantha with her four red eyes. There was a moment of silence. "Apprentice!" Slade barked. "Do as I say!"
"Necronom Hezberek Mortix!" Raven sent a barrage of fire at the wrestler. Pantha braced for impact, but it never came. She looked to see Red Star pushing against the fire with his gloved hands.
"I am not taken out that easily," Red Star said through gritted teeth.
"Red Star!" Pantha exclaimed.
"I've got it," Red Star strained against the fire. "You go, make sure your team is safe."
"I'm not leaving you to fight alone," Pantha refused.
"I am not alone," Red Star pushed forward a few feet. "I am with friends. You go, now!" Pantha reluctantly ran off. She flipped open her communicator.
"Argent, Red X, where are you?" she demanded.
"On our way!" Argent's face was covered in dust. "The walls caved in on us."
"Are you hurt?" Pantha asked.
"We're both fine," Argent brushed the debris off of her face. "But the hospital wing looks like it's destroyed."
"I'm on my way there now!" Pantha informed them, and closed the communicator. She heard another explosion and hoped that Red Star was alright. She flipped open the communicator again. "Nightwing this is Pantha come in!" Then she was body-checked.
"I'm afraid that the Titans will not be making an appearance tonight," Pantha looked up to see Slade throw aside the communicator. "Your friend may have distracted my apprentice for the time being, but now you have to contend with me." Pantha was not prepared for his speed. Before she could react, Slade delivered a hard blow to her gut. Pantha doubled over, but then jumped on the villain. Slade ducked out of the way and delivered another hard blow, which Pantha was able to catch and throw him into the wall. Slade staggered to his feet, only to have Pantha wrap her large arms around his waist and squeeze with all her strength.
Slade swung his leg up and kicked Pantha in the face. Pantha's world swayed before her eyes. Not knowing what else to do fell forward, flattening the villain underneath her. Slade wriggled underneath her, but Pantha held strong. Slade threw his weight to the side, succeeding in rolling the wrestler over. He broke her hold on his chest and rolled away. Pantha was on her feet in a moment, but Slade was quicker. He delivered a devastating blow to her jaw, knocking her off of her feet.
At that moment a pair of red fists pounded Slade into the wall, and a red X fastened him there. Argent immediately flew to Pantha's side and pulled the wrestler to her feet. Red X held the pointed edge of another red X to Slade's throat.
"You alright?" Argent asked.
"He's a quick one," Pantha panted. Argent nodded. "I went to call the Titans, but he destroyed my communicator." Argent pulled her communicator out and flipped it open.
"Do we really need to call them now?" Red X asked. "We've got Slade tacked to this wall."
"We have more than Slade to worry about," Argent replied. "We have..." She was cut off by an explosion. Red X was sent flying. Before Argent could run to his aid, another explosion occured. They knew that they weren't actually explosions. The tower was being ripped apart by Slade's apprentice. That of course was who they were really afraid of. She rose out of a fiery portal in the floor.
"Raven," Argent breathed, the fear evident in her voice. The four-eyed figure floated above them, menacing, and dreadful.
"Apprentice," Slade broke the silence. "You do have the best timing my dear." Raven said nothing, but merely hovered in the air. Pantha cried out.
"What have you done with Red Star?" she demanded.
"I imagine my apprentice has done her job and disposed of the good Captain," Slade mused. Pantha let out a roar of outrage, struggled to her feet, and faced the demoness.
"Murderer!" she roared. Raven stared at her silently.
"Oh come now," Slade sounded bored. "Don't be angry with her. She's just doing as I tell her."
"You are evil!" Pantha grabbed Raven's black cloak and dragged her down so that she was staring into the four red eyes. "I used to think of you as a hero, but no more!" Raven blinked, and frowned at the enraged wrestler.
"Apprentice!" Slade barked. "Let's get what we came for." Raven said nothing, but began to fade away.
"Oh no you don't!" Pantha growled, grabbing Raven by her neck. "You killed my friend. I'm going to make you pay for that."
"Apprentice!" Slade's voice was sharp. Raven phased away from Pantha, freed Slade from his bonds, and phased away again.
Red X sat up with a groan, "What happened?" He stopped short to see Pantha's muscular body quivering with rage.
"She killed him," Pantha ground her teeth. "I don't care what the Titan's say. I'm going to make her pay for what she did to Red Star." Just then there was a flash of yellow and red.
"Pantha!" they turned to see a badly beaten Kid Flash. "They have Jinx!" Red X ran over and helped Argent to her feet.
"We have to call the Titans," he stated morosely. "We can't get Jinx back on our own."
"I will go alone," Pantha retorted. "Raven is Slade's apprentice. I did not want to believe it before now, but she is evil. She killed Red Star, and she will be held accountable."
"Accountable?" Pantha's eyes widened and she turned around. "But my friends, I am not dead."
"Red Star!" Pantha gasped. She ran to him and enveloped him into a big hug.
"It is good to see you too my friend," Red Star smiled at her.
"But why aren't you dead?" Pantha asked. "Raven, she..."
"Let me go," Red Star finished the wrestler's sentence. "I do not know why, but she let me go."
